Steel underframe for railway-cars.



PATENTED, JAN. 9, 1906 W. F. KIESEL, JR,

5 SHBETSSHEET 1.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 23, 1905.

STEEL'UNDERFRAME FOR RAILWAY CARS,

lllllllllllllllllllll IL BY lawe/ ATTU R N EY WITNESSES o Z W PATBNTED JAN. 9, 1906.

W. P. KIBSEL, J3. STEEL UNDERFRAME FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 23, 1905.

5 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906.

W. P. KIESEL, JR, STEEL UNDBRFRAMB FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG, 23, 1006.

Yimy'f).

WITNESSES an- {I 5 SHEETSSHEET 3.

U" f n 1 m fL s INVENTOR ya 0 O L \mmml fsw%- ATTORNEY N0.80&921. PATENTBD JAN.9,1906 W. F. KIESEL, JR. STEEL'UNDERERAME FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLIOATIOIVFILED AUG, 23, 19b5.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNES'SES W- INVENTOR 0X7 BY ATTORNEY No. 809,921. PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906. W. P. KIESEL, JR,

STEEL UNDERFRAME FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 23, 1905. s SHEETS-SHEET 5.

WITNESSES INVENTOR NMwwvMmg v 6 BY g ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT QFFTCE.

WVILLIAM F. KIESEL, JR, OF ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

STEEL UNDERFRAIVIE FOR RAILWAY-CARS- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9. 1906.

Application filed August 23, 1905. Serial No. 275,389.

passenger-cars having vestibule-platforms;-

and one object of my improvements is to provide the underframe with a continuous center sill of the box-girder type extending out under the platforms at each end of the car and supported directly upon the truck center plates without the use of body-bolsters, the superstructure of the car being supported from the center sill by means of end sills and intermediate cross-bearers of a cantaliver type.

A further object is to so locate the car end sills and cross-bearers that the load of the superstructure will be transferred thereby to the center sills and so distributed that the stresses in the center sills over the center plates and near the center of the car will require practically the same section modulus throughout, thus avoiding the necessity of using the fish-belly center-sill construction or of utilizing truss-rods in order to obtain the full value of the material used. manner I obtain the greatest benefit from the metal used and am able to distribute that metal uniformly throughout the full length of the center-sill construction.

A still further object is to terminate the center sills at each end with a steel casting whereby end shock will be transmitted directly to the center sills and to compress the buffer stem-springs into the space between the car end sills and these steel castings, the latter being positioned directly beneath the platform end sills and serving as supports therefor.

A final object is to provide certain improve ments in the details of the frame-braces whereby stiffness and strength will be attained with a saving in weight and material.

I attain my objects by constructing the underframe in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which" Figure 1 represents a plan view of an under frame embodying my improvements, showing the frame for one-half the length of a car; Fig. 2, a side elevation of a car with parts of In this the outer sheathing broken away to show the frame construction; Fig. 3, a plan view of the underframe on a larger scale, showing one end from the center plate outward; Fig. 4, an end view with one-half of the vestibule buffer-plate broken away; Fig. 5, a central longitudinal section of the portion of the underframe shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 6, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 7, a transverse section on the lines 7 7 in Figs. 1 and 3; Fig.

8, a broken plan View of the frame, showing.

one of the cross-bearers and one of the central braces and floor-supports; Fig. 9, a transverse section on the lines 9 9 in Fig. 1; Fig. 10, a side elevation of a portion of the frame, showing an outside view of one of the crossbearers; Fig. 11, a transverse section of a cross-bearer on the lines 11 11 in Figs. 8 and 9; Fig. 12, a longitudinal section through the vestibule-framework on the line 12 12 in Fig. 3; Fig. 13, a plan view of the end casting and platform end-sill plate, the latter being broken away at the left-hand side; Fig. 14, an end View of the same. with the platform end-sill plate and front cover-plate removed at the left-hand side; Fig. 15, a side elevation of the end casting; and Fig. 16, transverse sections through the car-body, showing the manner of attaching the wood side sills and floor-timbers and the platform-steps to the underframe.

Like numerals refer to like parts in the several views.

As illustrated in the drawings, the center sill is made up of two I-beams spaced apart and extending continuously from one platform end to the other and fastened together at top and bottom by cover-plates 2, thereby forming a box-girder extending through the center of the car including the platforms. Instead of using I-beams channels may be used or the box-girder maybe made up of side and cover plates riveted together with anglebars. As there are no eighteen-inch channels now in the market 1 have been compelled to use I-beams for the centersills in the underframe as now constructed. \Vhere the length of the car is such thatI beams or channels of the required length cannot be procured, these beams may be spliced together at any desirable points, uniting the parts by butt-joints held together by splice-plates, as shown at 55 in Figs. 8, 9, and 10, it being understood that such joints will be staggered in the two beams, so that the girder will not be weakened. The cover-plates also may be spliced, provided splice-plates be used to replace the strength lost by cutting the cover-plates and provided no joints in either cover-plates or beams be placed opposite or adjacent one another. As illustrated, 1 haveshown one of the I-beams spliced at a point adjacent one of the crossbearers, the other I-beam being spliced at a point adjacent the cross-bearer at the opposite end of the car, and it may be of advantage to splice'the beams again somewhere near the end sills of the car.

At the ends of the car-body proper end sills 3 are riveted to the sides of the center sill to support the framework of the ends and sides of the car at these points. These end sills are formed from pressed-steel plates of triangular shape flanged along all sides, thereby forming, in effect, cantaliver diaphragms projecting laterally from each side of the center sill. The upper sides of these cantaliver-diaphragms extend out in horizontal alinement with the top cover-plate, and a transverse angle-bar 6 passes across and is riveted to the top flanges of the cantalivers and to the cover-plate, triangular gusset-sheets 7 being riveted at each side between the cantalivers 3 and the angle-bar 6. The longitudinal sides of the gusset-sheets are riveted upon the top of the cover-plate 2, thethird or inclined sides being flanged for stiffness. By this construction the end sills are firmly braced against both vertical and horizontal displacement. At the outer ends of the endsill cantalivers angle-bars 5 are riveted, these angles extending from end sill to end sill and forming the side sills of the underframe. At intermediate points between the end sills or at points distant from the end sills one-fourth the length of the frame, between end sills in the underframe as illustrated, I provide crossbearers which comprise pairs of cantaliverdiaphragms A of pressed-steel plates having flanges along all sides and of triangular shape, with the base of the triangles riveted to the sides of the center sill. The upper sides of these cantaliver diaphragms are inclined downwardly and outwardly, so that the outer end will engage the under side of the side-sill angles 5, the outer ends of these cantaliver pairs being fastened together and to the sidesill angles by means of bracket-castings 17 Cover-plates 16 are riveted to the cantaliver pairs at the top and bottom, said cover-plates passing across, above, and below the centersill cover-plate 2 and being riveted thereto. The cross-bearers as thus formed are stifl and rigid and of a strength suflicient to support and transfer to the'center sill the loads at the center of the car.

Between the end sills and cross-bearers I provide oppositely-inclined brace-bars 8 and 10, formed of pressed-steel plates or channels with side flanges turned downward and inner end flanges riveted to the sides of the center sill, the outer ends being flattened and riveted the truck.

side the center sill by the bracket 12, riveted between the vertical members thereof. It will thus be seen that the loads of the superstructure are divided between the end-sill and cross-bearer cantalivers and by these cantalivers are transferred to the center sill, the entire load of the car being supported by the center sill and resting at the center plates on 'the car-trucks without the interposition of bodybolsters. Side-bearing plates 13 are shown riveted underneath the side sills at points opposite the center plate in position to engage the side bearings on the truck. Two of these side bearings may be placed at each side of the underframe, where itis to be used in connection with the six-wheel truck described in a copending application, in which there are side bearings carried by each of two spring-beams projecting out from each side of The vertical members of the cen ter-sill girder are slotted at 58 to permit of the passage therethrough of a brake-equalizer bar, as described in connection with said truck, the cut portions being reinforced by angles 59.

Between the cross-bearers, at suitable distances apart, lateral brace-bars 14 are riveted between the center sill and the side sills, these I brace-bars comprising channels secured at their inner ends to-the sides of the center sill by brackets 54 and to the side-sill angles 5 by plates 53. Additional brace-bars 15 are located where required to support the air-brake cylinders, gas-tanks, &c.

The sides of the car-body are provided between the end sills and cross-bearers with vertical steel trusses l9 and between cross-bearers in the car illustrated by wood trusses built up, as indicated at 20. Said central side trusses rest upon the wood sidesills 21, which form the bottom chords thereof and which in turn rest upon and are reinforced and strengthened by the metal-angle side sills 5. The steel side body-trusses 19 are riveted to the vertical flanges of the side sills 5, thereby supporting said side sills and transferring the loads thereon to the end sills and cross-bearers. The ends of the car sides are braced from the side sills by means of angle bracebars 22 and plates 25, which rise up from the side sills and are fastened to the top side plates 24 of the car, said top side plates extending beyond the car ends and being fastened to the outside corner-posts 26 of the vestibule. The outside vertical edges of the brace-plates 25 are fastened to the corner- These brace- I posts 27 of the car, said corner-posts being of Z-shaped cross-section and having their feet secured to the end-sill cantalivers by means of the angles 28. The door-posts 30 are also of Z-shaped cross-section with their bases riveted to the end-sill diaphragms and to the transverse angle-bar 6, and to further strengthen the framework I provide Z-bars riveted to the end-sill diaphragms at the bottom near the door-posts and extending thence diagonally to the top of the corner-posts, as indicated at 29, Figs. 3 and 7. This construction of the car end frame and vestibuleframework is made the subject of a separate application.

Projecting out from each end of the center sill and riveted between the vertical members thereof is an end casting 31, provided with lateral arms 39, upon the top of which rests the pressed-steel platform end-sill plate 32, said plate being flanged upwardly at front and rear and being curved at the front, as indicated in Fig. 13. Avertical cover-plate 33 is riveted to the front flange of the end-sill plate 32 and to the front face of the end casting 31, the outer ends of said cover-plate being bent around and riveted to the inside coverplates 34. Angle-bars 47 are riveted inside the cover-plate to brace the lower portions thereof at each side of the end casting. The vestibule corner-posts 26 are secured to the cover-plate 33 in the bends at the outer ends thereof. The platform end sill is further braced by longitudinal brace-bars 35, formed of angle-bars with deep vertical sides, the inward ends of said brace-bars being flanged and riveted to the diaphragms of the end sills 3, and the outer ends being lapped over the outer sides of the end casting 31 and riveted thereto at 38. The inside cover-plates 34: at the lower side are cut short, bent forward at 36,- and riveted to the vertical sides of the brace-bars 35. These brace-bars 35 are so spaced from the center line of the car as to form the risers for the topsteps to the platform, as shown more clearly in Fig. 16.

The steps are supported by means of hangerplates 48 and 19, riveted to the inside coverplates 34 and to the end-sill diaphragms, respectively, and being so positioned as to receive between them the step side plates 56.

The vestibule buffer-plate 4:0 is supported at the end of the square bars a1, which pass through guideways 45, formed therefor in the arms 39 of the end casting 31, said bars 4.1 being turned down to form cylindrical springstems 12. The inward ends of said stems pass through guide-plates 413, riveted to the end-sill diaphragm. (See Fig. 7.) Surrounding these stems -12, between the end casting and the end sill, are coiled springs 14, which press upon washers interposed between the springs and the square portion 41. of the buffer-stem to hold the buffer-plate in proper engagement with the bufier-plate of an adjacent car. The side plates 57 for the vestibule-hood rise from the buffer-plate 40, the hood at the rear being fastened to the posts 46, supported on the platform end sill.

Inside the ends of the center sill, between the vertical members thereof, are riveted the draft-castings 50 for a Westinghouse friction draft-gear, as illustrated at 52 in Figs. i, 5, and 7, said draft-gear being supported by the guide-plate 51, bolted to the under side of the vertical members of the center sill, the under cover-plate 2 being terminated at a point just back of this draft-gear. The coupler-link passes out from this draft-gear below the end casting 31, where it is terminated by the usual coupler-head.

By this construction of the vestibule-underframe it will be seen that I have provided in compact form suitable support for the bufferplate and a compact arrangement of the bufferstem springs; and by means of the end castings attached directly to the projecting ends of the center sill I have provided an arrangement of parts whereby end shocks will be transmitted directly to the center sill. All draft strains are also transmitted directly to the center sill by reason of the location of the draft-casting 50.

Having thus described my improved underframe and the auxiliary parts for the car superstructure, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An underframe for railway -cars comprisinga center sill, center plates near each end upon which the center sill rests, and means for distributing and transferring the entire load of the superstructure to the center sill at points distant from the center plates.

2. An underframe for railway-cars constructed without body-bolsters and comprising a center sill in combination with end sills and intermediate cross-bearers so positioned as to distribute and transfer the entire load of the superstructure to the center sill.

3. An underframe for railway-cars constructed without body-bolsters and comprising a center sill in combination with center plates, end sills and intermediate cross-bearers so located relatively to one another that the entire load of the superstructure will be transferred by the end sills and cross-bearers to the center sill and so distributed that the stresses in the centersill over the center plates and near the center of the car will require practically the same section modulus throughout.

1. In an underframe constructed without body-bolsters, the combination of a centersill, cantaliver end sillsprojecting laterally from the center sill, cantaliver cross-bearers projecting laterally from the center sill intermediate the end sills, side sills joining the outer ends of the end sills and cross-bearers, and center plates attached to the center sill between the end sills and cross-bearers.

5. An underframe for railway-cars constructed without body-bolsters and comprising a box-girder center sill, center plates attached to the under side of the center sill near each end, end sills and intermediate crossbearers projecting laterally from the center sill at points distant from the center plates and so spaced therefrom as to'distribute and transfer the entire load of the superstructure to the center sill, and side sills joining the outer ends of the end sills and cross-bearers.

6. In an underframe, the combination, with a center sill, of an end sill comprising trian:

gular plates flanged around the sides and projecting in vertical position from each side of the center sill, the upper side flanges of said plates being in horizontal alinement with the top of the center sill, and horizontal gussetplates riveted to the upper flanges of said plates and to the top of the center sill.

7. In an underframe, the combination, with a center sill, of an end sill comprising vertical cantaliver-plates projecting from each side of the center sill, the upper sides of said cantalivers being in horizontal alinement with the top of the center sill, a transverse frame member passing across the center sill and riveted to the top of the cantalivers, and triangular gusset-plates rivetedin horizontal position between the cantalivers and the trans verse member and to the top of the center sill at each side thereof.

8. In an underframe, the combination of a center sill, end sills, intermediate cross-bearers, side sills joining the outer ends of the end sills and cross-bearers, oppositely-inclined diagonal braces between the center sill and side sills in the spaces between the end sills and cross-bearers, and triangular gusset-plates in thltl: angles between the end sills and center s1 9. In an underframe, the combination of a center sill, end sills, intermediate cross-bearers, side sills joining the outer ends of the end sills and cross-bearers, vertical side trusses spanning the spaces between the end sills and cross-bearers and also the central spaces between cross-bearers, of which trusses the sidesills constitute the lower chords, and center plates attached to the center sill near each end between the end sills and cross-bearers.

10. In an underframe, the combination of a center sill, end sills, intermediate cross-bearers, angle-bar side sills joining the outer ends of the end sills and cross-bearers, vertical steel side trusses spanning the spaces between the end sills and cross-bearers and having the side- I sill angle-bars for lower chords, wood sills of the end sills and cross-bearers, oppositely-.

inclined diagonal braces extending out from the sides of the center sill and attached at their outer ends to reinforcing-angles on the inside of the side sills in the spaces between the end sills and cross-bearers, and transverse braces extending out fromthe sides of the center sill to the side sills in the spaces between the crossbearers.

12. In an underframe, the combination of a center sill, cantaliver end-sill plates projecting out from each side thereof, angle-bar side sills having vertical limbs attached to the outer ends of said plates and outwardly-projecting horizontal limbs, and cantaliver cross-bearer plates projecting out from the sides of the center sill intermediate the ends, the horizontal limbs of the side sills resting upon and being secured to the outer ends of the crossbearer plates. I

13. In an underframe, the combination of a center sill, cantaliver end-sill plates projecting out from each side thereof and having their upper sides in horizontal alinement with the top of the center sill, angle-bar side sills having vertical limbs attached to vertical outer ends of the end-sill plates and outwardly-projecting horizontal limbs positioned below the level of the top of the center sill, and cantaliver cross-bearer plates projecting out-from the sides of the center sill intermediate the ends, the upper sides of said cross r bearer plates being downwardly inclined and projecting beneath the horizontal limbs of the side sills at their outer ends.

14. In an underframe constructed without bod y-bolsters, the combination of a box-girder center sill, center plates attached to the bottom cover-plate thereof adjacent the ends, reinfOrcing brackets inside the center-sill girder over the center plates, and cantaliver end sills and cross-bearers projecting out from the sides of the center sill at points to the front and rear of the center plates.

15. In an underframe constructed without bod y-bolstcrs, the combination of a box-girder center sill, center plates attached to the under side thereof, cantaliver end sills at each end beyond the center plates, cantaliver crossbearers disposed at points between the center plates, side sills joining the outer ends of the end sills and cross-bearers, and oppositely-inclined diagonal braces between the centersill and side sills in the spaces at each side of the center plates.

ing from the sides of the girder, end castings projecting from the ends of the girder, and platform end sills carried by said castings.

18. In an underframe for railway-cars, a center sill projecting beyond the car-body at each end, car-body end sills projecting from the sides of the center sill, platform end sills supported by the projecting ends of the center sills,and longitudinal angle-braces between the car-body end sills and the platform end sills at each side of the center sill, said braces being so positioned as to'act as top risers for the platform-steps.

19. In an underframe for railway-cars, a center sill projecting beyond the car-body, an end casting provided with lateral arms attached to the end of the center sill, a platform end sillsupported by said arms, a car-body end sill projecting from the sides of the center sill,and longitudinal braces extending from said end sill to the arms of the end casting at each side of the center sill.

20. In an underframe for railway-cars, a box-girder center sill projecting beyond the car-body, an end casting secured between the vertical members of the girder and provided with laterally-projecting arms, cantaliver end sill plates projecting from the sides of the girder at the end of the car-body, angle bracebars extending between the end sill-plates and the arms of the end casting, and a platform end sill carried by said arms.

21. In an underframe for railway-cars, a center still projecting beyond the ear-body, a car-body end sill carried thereby, a platform end sill supported at the end of the center sill, longitudinal brace-plates extending between the car-body end sill and the platform end sill at each side of the center sill and serving as risers for the top car-steps, and hangerplates attached to both end sills to support the steps.

22. In an underframe for railway cars, a boxirder center sill extending continuously from end to end of the car and an end casting attached thereto at each end, said castings being provided with laterally-projecting arms having guideways therein to receive the stems of a buffer-plate.

23. In an underframe for railway cars, a box-girder center sill in combination with an end casting fastened between the vertical mem-. bers thereof, said end casting having arms projecting at each side beyond the end of the center sill, guideways in said arms to receive the spring-stems of a vestibule buffer-plate, and a platform end sill supported by said casting.

24. The end casting 31 having arms 39 and guideways 45, substantially as herein described.

25. A platform end sill comprising a transverse horizontal plate, an end casting having laterally-projecting arms positioned beneath said plate, a vertical cover plate passing around and secured to the end casting and to the horizontal plate, and means for attaching the end casting to the center sill of a car-underframe.

26. A platform end sill comprising the flanged horizontal plate 32, the end casting 31, and the vertical cover-plates 33 and 34 riveted around the sides thereof substantially as herein described.

27. In an underframe for railway-cars, the combination, with a box-girder center sill extending out under the car-platform and carbody end-sill plates projecting from the sides thereof, of an end casting riveted between the vertical members of the girder, lateral arms projecting from the end casting beyond the center sill, angle,bracehars extending out from the end-sill plates parallel to the center sill and fastened to said arms, a horizontal platform end-sill plate resting upon and riv:

eted to center sill, end casting and brace-bars, and vertical cover-plates riveted to the sides of the platform and sill-plate at front'and rear, the front cover-plate being also riveted to the arms of the end casting, and the rear cover-plates being riveted to the brace-bars.

28. In an underframe for railway-cars, the combination, with a center sill extending out under the car-platform and vertical car-body end-sill plates projectingfrom the sides thereof back of the platform, of a platform endsill support at the end of the center sill, a vestibule buffer-plate, buffer-stems mounted in guideways on said support, said stems passing back at each side of the center sill through guides on the body end-sill plates, and springs on the stems between said plates and said support.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM F. KIESEL, JR.

Witnesses:

U. S. DRAYER, MARVIN SINGER. 

